Archive for the 'Ben Sheets' Tag Under 'Angels' Category

The Diamondbacks don't seem too eager to bring back Brandon Webb, a free agent who hasn't pitched in a game since Opening Day of the 2009 season. Before he was struck by shoulder injuries -- he had surgery in August 2009 -- Webb had averaged 19 wins, a 3.13 ERA and 230 innings per season over three years.

How much would you pay for one year of Webb if you were the Angels?

{democracy:646}

AP: "(Webb's agent Jonathan) Maurer said Webb was understandably rusty in a recent instructional league outing and his velocity was four to five mph slower than what it had been. ... Maurer denied a report that Webb was looking for at least $7.5 million. The agent said he had just used that figure as an example of what Brad Penny got coming off an injury."

Maybe it's because I am simply bat-crazy infatuated with French actress Eva Green, and a 007 mark from way back, but my favorite bit of dialogue from the film Casino Royale comes on the train, when Vesper Lynd sits down and announces "I'm the money."

To which Daniel Craig as James Bond replies, "Every penny of it."

That's my Bogart/Bacall moment for the 21st century, and it floored me. In a different way, I've spent a good portion of this week reading in stunned amazement the reaction of those who can't understand the Phillies giving a five-year, $125 million extension to one Ryan Howard.

The outrage is so incredible, you'd think ex-Angel Ruben Amaro Jr. was passing the hat around the blogosphere or garnishing sports writers' wages to pay Mr. Howard, instead of using the millions he has helped the Phillies earn the past four years despite a stagnant-at-best economy.

Texas' goal is to have Harden pitch 180 innings. If he only starts 30 games, that bullpen is going to be pretty busy in innings 7-9. And that's when their No. 1 or 2 works, folks (depending upon how you rank Harden and Scott Feldman).

Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics' rotation includes two former All-Stars, Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer, who didn't pitch last year. And Duchscherer didn't make it out of the clubhouse on the first day of workouts because of a back injury.

And in Seattle, Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee look great as Seattle's top two starters, but the rest of the Mariners rotation looks to me like Spahn & Sain & three days of rain (or the alternative, Spahn & Burdette & etc.). It was actually two days of rain when the two Milwaukee Braves duos pitched, but I'm allowing for the modern five-man rotation.

The Angels' deep rotation of five actual, quality major-league starting pitchers will make the difference if the AL West race is close. And, who knows, they might make the difference in the playoffs, too.

So, what if Anthony Ortega or Nick Adenhart aren't quite ready to fill the No. 5 spot in the Angels' rotation?

Kelvin Escobar is supposed to be ahead of schedule to return to action, but Manager Mike Scioscia (seen running, of all things, in Tempe over the weekend) will need to hand the baseball to someone else in the interim.